The main political parties have picked the candidates they hope will be MP for Hertford and Stortford after the next General Election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated he expects to go to the country “in the second half” of this year. The latest date for a poll is January 28, 2025.
In the meantime, the Indie has invited the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green Party and Reform UK hopefuls to introduce themselves to our readers before the campaign proper begins. Over the coming months, with a column every two or three weeks, they will be trying to connect with the electorate.
Our brief to all five was “not to parrot your party’s national position, but take the opportunity to tell our readers – your voters – about your personal principles” and talk about local, national and international issues. We also included a caution not to ignore “the elephant in the room”, and to address controversies affecting their party openly and honestly.
Dr John Burmicz, prospective parliamentary candidate for Reform UK and a former mayor of Sawbridgeworth, writes…
So the prime minister was in Poland last month cheering on the fact that we will, by 2030, be spending 2.5% of GDP (gross domestic product) on defence. Hurrah!
Although we are one of the least offenders in NATO, Poland has spent approximately 4% of GDP on defence, making it a top contributor to NATO.
No wonder; with Russia on its eastern flank, it knows full well the impact of the Russian Bear. During the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, Polish forces defended Ukraine from expansionist Russian intentions and this is still a thorn in the side of the ‘Evil Empire’.
How history repeats itself. Despite our contributions to the Ukraine struggle, we here in the UK are totally bereft of a force capable of defending ourselves.
Since the time of Wilson (remember TSR-2?), we have had cut after cut in defence spending to the point where we are not able to defend ourselves, We find ourselves almost in the same position as we were in the 1930s.
What will Reform do? Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by year three, then 3% within six years. This will increase the size and capacity of our armed forces, ensuring our lead role in NATO.
We will improve equipment and boost morale in military communities, introduce an urgent pay review and increase basic pay across our armed forces to boost recruitment and retention. It is unacceptable that a private soldier is paid less than an Amazon worker.
We will launch a joint acquisition corp to ensure world-class procurement. The Ministry of Defence must listen to soldiers on the front line and ensure they get the equipment they need. We need to stop wasteful procurement processes.
We will introduce incentives and tax breaks to boost the UK defence industry, improve equipment self-sufficiency and manufacture world-class products for export.
A properly funded and resourced, dedicated ministerial department for veterans is essential. We have a duty to look after those who have put themselves on the front line to look after us.